The Girl
by AnneLaurant
Summary: Phobos thinks of the newest member of his cause, as Cedric leads her around the castle. Villain Orube AU


A take on villain!Orube, as inspired by RedDesember's art.

* * *

Cedric had only introduced them, but Phobos was already… charmed, so to say.

The girl was different from all others. Well, not exactly that different; his first impression was that she somehow resembled Miranda, one of his capable female servants.

It was only a resemblance. This one was different.

She was curious, and she actually listened to Cedric's little tour guide ensemble. He talked of the history, of the language, of the culture… boring boring boring. Phobos wanted to laugh at the little display. Was she so legitimately interested in Meridian, or was it the commander of Phobos' army that enchanted her and made it interesting? Even Cedric was unusually noisy and active too. He would have loved to leave his new recruits in Raythor's hands. Or Vathek. Or any other lieutenant or soldier he saw. When Miranda entered, she was given to the maids. Then she fought against them and demanded that she be part of the army instead.

This girl, she was just different. The way she greeted him with utmost respect, the way her eyes glowed with hunger and eagerness as he elaborated on his plans of conquest, the way she walked with confidence through the dark halls - it was just so peculiar, especially for she who had once served Kandrakar.

Was it because she was a warrior, who had hailed from the war-torn planet of Basiliade, where children were trained and drafted into their armies? (Now that he thought of it, Elyon mentioned of watching this "TeeVee show" that had a similar premise, but the story followed a young boy and his friends. Oh, touching.)

Phobos then noticed that they reached the weapons hall. The stationed Lurdens and soldiers cleared of the room at Cedric's command. The prince inwardly laughed. Cedric would never tell people to vacate any room at his own bidding, except if he wanted to be alone. Maybe he did want to be alone, with the charming new member of their court. Phobos had never had the childish impulse to tease his right-hand man even more than this exact moment. The prince would love to give Cedric a heavier workload.

As he mused about how to tear the couple(?) apart, Phobos saw that the girl had stopped following Cedric.

Her gaze was fixated on the special hall, one that was almost forgotten, if not for the tales that shrouded its treasure. At the end of the hall hung a weapon, sealed with Escanor magic. It was a sword, a very long one, that unsheathing it from its sturdy scabbard seemed almost impossible, even if it was a curved blade. Phobos watched the girl ignore Cedric's blabbering for the first time, to admire and approach the blade.

"Oh? So you'd like that?" the prince asked.

The girl stopped in her tracks, just a few more steps from where the invisible shield of the weapon's seal would start. She turned to him, and nodded with a smile.

"Swords are my specialty," she explained, "I think I'd like to wield this one."

At this point, Cedric noticed that his lone audience wasn't paying attention to him. He joined the prince in watching what the warrior would do.

"Besides," she continued, reaching out her arm, "It's somehow… calling to me."

Cedric, being the tour guide, spoke of its history. "You wouldn't want to touch that. It's killed so many men, and all men who wield it has perished by its blade."

The girl's hand was repelled by the magic shield. She flinched at the momentary pain.

"It betrays its master," Cedric explained, "If you want to reach your goals–"

"You know not of how to speak to a warrior, Cedric. Don't you dare underestimate me." She reached out her hand again, but this time, her energy was pooling in her palm. The sword started to react, vibrating against the brick wall. Charges of energy started sparking around the shield. Phobos smiled.

"They," Orube explained, "Were men. I, however, am a woman. And if I am unable to master this sword…"

A crack started forming in the shield, and finally, it broke, and the sword, in its scabbard, flew into her open palm. She gripped it tightly, and, in one fluid motion, drew the black blade and swung it around in dance-like motions and stances. Again, in one motion, she let the blade rest back in its ornate scabbard, decorated with the greens and blues of Meridian.

"Then maybe Kandrakar and its childish guardians would be on their knees, apologizing to all the people that their corrupt system had inconvenienced."

As they walked away from the weapons hall, Phobos would whisper to the commander of his army that Kandrakar had just lost one of its finest, most intelligent, and most amusing warriors.


End file.
